Dealing with spinal stenosis can be life-altering and it brings along with it a long list of unwanted symptoms.
This is why it’s important to have a plan in mind and that is where medical professionals come into action. A trusted spine doctor in Lakeland, FL will take the time to put together a personalized treatment plan that is best for your spinal stenosis.
There are different paths a doctor can take and here are all of them in detail.
1. Rest
Doctors will often start with basic treatments to see what can be done to reduce the generic symptoms (i.e. pain, numbness, tingling).
The first step will be to prescribe rest and make sure you are not pursuing heavy activities such as lifting weights in the gym.
Getting rest is key in letting the spine relax and straighten. This will ensure it is not compressing the spinal nerve all the time, which is the main reason for the pain you are feeling.
In most cases, the doctor is also going to give pain meds to help relax the body and make sure you can go about your daily routine.
2. Physical Therapy
When the symptoms get worse and the meds are not working, the doctor may be now going to look at physical therapy.
Physical therapy can include building strength in that part of the body and making sure your posture is good. This will ensure you are not accidentally constricting the spinal nerve by having a bad posture.
It is a simple change that will help alleviate some of the more harmful symptoms associated with spinal stenosis.
3. Surgery
Some cases are not going to get better with simple therapy and that is when it’s time for surgeons to get into the action.
Surgery is a customized process, which means each case is going to be unique. The surgeon will look through the x-rays to see what needs to be done to help loosen the area.
This is how the spinal nerves are not going to get compressed within the spine.
4. Activity Modification
A doctor may go through your case and determine specific modifications that could go a long way in reducing the symptoms a bit.
It is about your quality of life and the wrong activities will do a lot of harm to the spinal nerve. It will increase the narrowing of the area and that will cause more pain.
This is why doctors do prefer to reduce how much a person moves around. For example, you might be encouraged to go for a swim rather than walk all the time when exercising.
These are some of the options available to medical professionals when it is time to treat spinal stenosis. This condition has a horrible impact on the human body and can become painful to deal with as time goes on. It’s best to get out in front of the issue before it worsens.
Consult with a certified spinal surgeon in Lakeland, FL as soon as possible to see what can be done.
This article is general information, not medical advice. Every patient is different; talk with a spine specialist about your own symptoms and options. For a medical emergency, call 911.
Questions about your spine?